Fingers Make Good Pacifiers

Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me? Fingers Are Good Pacifiers

When my babe was a newborn and needed an evening nap, I often nursed her in a daze on the couch.

Eager for us both to catch a bit of sleep, I would nuzzle up and pray for her eyes to close.

To learn my soothing trick, read more.

But, as many moms know, newborns have a sucking reflex that sometimes can't be satiated. And when they are brand spankin' new, you can't expect them to suck their itty bitty thumbs or keep a pacifier lodged. I quickly learned the magic of a clean and well manicured mama pinky finger.

When the going got tough, I slipped my smallest finger tip into my baby girl's mouth and watched her drift to sleep. It also gave me the opportunity to catch up on rest.

*Make sure your fingers are squeaky clean and nails are trimmed so you don't cut the baby's mouth.

I'm a Microbiology student and not all bacterias are killed with soap and water. A mother who sticks her finger in her baby's mouth as a pacifier is unsanitary and somehwat disturbing. When a father does it, it's even creepier. Buy a pacifier or let the baby figure it out with its own fingers.

5 years

My baby is 6 months, I have used the pinky solution. It works great, the problem now is that she only goes back to sleep with my pinky! She doesn't want the pacifier or anything else...this is keeping me awake a couple of hours every night because I don't manage to change this association and she is not able to go back to sleep on her own. any ideas?? HELP! :)

a knuckle works just as well. I have three children and they were/are breast-fed babies. Once they figured out there was no milk coming out, they started getting frustrated.. but it sure worked for the first few months!